


Insanity

by Eboni_Napalm



Category: X Factor (UK) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-24 09:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eboni_Napalm/pseuds/Eboni_Napalm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of waiting and watching, twenty-four year old Elise McCready finally musters up the courage and decides to audition for England's best known singing competition, The X Factor. She knows that the end result will change her life forever, but when something else other than singing comes into play- a sudden affection for her competition, what will she choose when it ultimately comes into play- following her dreams, or following her heart?</p><p>Which will end up meaning more to her? Her singing, or her feelings for Jamie Archer?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Auditions

I haven't even gone on stage yet and already my nerves are getting to me.  
I should've assumed that this was going to happen; I've heard it's normal for quite a number of people. Of course, my only real experience when it came to singing was either in the shower or in front of my bedroom mirror using a hairbrush for a microphone.  
But here I was. Waiting in a hallway of the Excel Center in London, practicing my song over and over again, trying to make sure it was as close to perfect as it could possibly be. Should I cut a couple parts out, change a couple words here and there...?  
MumbLing to myself, I sang a little part of the song again, then pondered if I should change the little bit I felt I should change. _'They aren't that big, so...'_ I tilted my head down just to make sure. _'Yeah, I probably should. It's not like too many people are gonna notice.'_  
Well, hopefully.  
  
I noticed another girl in the same hallway, a couple feet down from me. She was probably attempting the same thing as me; perfecting her song last minute.  
"It's getting to all of us, isn't it?" I thought aloud, to which she turned to look in my direction, giving me a lopsided smile.  
"Guess so," she replied. "You nervous too?"  
I nodded vigorously. "You have no idea," I chuckled, shaking my head with a grin. By this time I'd approached her and we were only about a foot apart.  
The girl, who looked to be about my age, give or take a year or so, reached her arm out. "I'm Stacey," she told me.  
I grasped her hand in mind and gave it a gentle shake. "Elise."  
She and I then decided to simply slump against the wall and sit on the floor. "So how old are you?" I questioned, trying not to be awkward.  
"Nineteen," she responded.  
"Shut up, you are not!" I grinned. "You could look as old as me!"  
Stacey laughed at this, giving me a toothy smile. "Well how old are you, then?" she brought the question back to me.  
I bit my lip. "I just turned twenty-four about a month ago," the answer came out.  
Her jaw dropped a little. "Nuh-uh, you look way too young!" she spat out. "That's what everyone says!" I laughed.  
For the next ten or twenty minutes, I sat and talked with Stacey, who I found out I had a lot in common with. If both of us made it to the finals, I could definitely see her becoming a good friend of mine. Though sometime afterwards, her name and number were called to head backstage.  
"Tell me how you do," I squeezed her shoulders with a smile, which she returned.  
"Count on it," the girl answered, flashing me the peace sign before taking off towards the doors to the stage.  
  
It had been about another twenty minutes and Stacey still hadn't come back. My guess was that she still was waiting, considering the vast amount of people that were still here for their chance. For the time being, I'd resumed practicing my song, verse by verse.  
Of course, I eventually decided on getting something to drink so my voice didn't wear out. I'd found a little concession stand a few hallways down, but when I reached into the pocket of my jeans, I'd remembered- and forgot- one important thing.  
"Shit," I muttered. I'd forgotten my wallet.  
Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I started to turn and head back to find a water fountain if I could, but a voice stopped me.  
"You want me to get you something?"  
My head tilted back around to meet the eyes of a guy- an **attractive** guy- with soft, dark brown eyes that matched his hair, which was styled up in an afro. A kind smile graced his perfectly chisled face, accented by a faint five-o-clock shadow. He was wearing a slightly low-cut v-neck shirt, brown jacket, and blue jeans, with a sash tied around the waist. I had to try extremely hard not to stare at him too much for too long.  
Snapping out of it, I shook my head a little. "No, no, it's alright. You don't have to," I tried to respond, but he grinned wider.  
"I insist," he told me. "Go ahead."  
Once more I felt like turning pink. I blindly grabbed the nearest beverage in reach- which happened to be a bottle of strawberry tea, and the male across from me set a couple bills on the counter in return. "Th-Thanks," I tried not to stutter but failed, taking a gulp of my drink.  
He smiled again. "Not a problem."  
During this time, I decided to sit on the stool next to him. "So... you singing, too?" I tried starting a conversation as best as I could.  
"Yeah, I just really hope it works out for me," he replied, drumming his fingers on the counter. "If it doesn't, then it's back to the pub gigs for me."  
"At least you get gigs," I retorted, to which he chuckled. "I'm serious though, the most I get to do is sing to myself in the mirror and only imagine what singing in front of people is like."  
He rested his chin on his hand. "It's still a start," he assured me. "And you've gotta start from somewhere." I nodded, a small smile starting to grow on my face. After a couple seconds, he pinched the bridge of his nose, almost in frustration. "My god, where are my manners; I haven't even introduced myself yet," he groaned, which got me to laugh a little. Like Stacey did before, he extended his hand out to me with that same grin. "I'm Jamie Archer."  
God, his smile was infectuous. "I'm Elise McCready," I replied, taking his outstreched hand.  
"Elise!" My name was said right after I'd said it, but not by Jamie. Turning around, I noticed Stacey in the hallway waving me over. She was grinning from ear to ear.  
"She's probably gotta spill to me how she did up there," I told my new acquaintance, hopping off the stool. "But maybe I'll run into you later?"  
He nodded. "Absolutely," Patting my shoulder and shooing me off, Jamie called back to me, "Good luck, when you go on stage!" I waved back to him, then scurried over to my friend, who literally pounced on me when I made it to her.  
"I got four yes's!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down as I smiled and screamed with her. "I'm going to Bootcamp!"  
I pulled her into a hug. "I knew you could do it!" I told her happily.  
"And you're gonna do just as good, I guarantee it," she took my hands and swung my arms back and forth in time with hers.  
"If you say so," I drawled, but ended up laughing as Stacey and I began squealing again.  
  
Fifteen more minutes later, my name and number were finally called. Stacey accompained me backstage to the wings, and to my surprise, I saw a now familiar face sitting on one of the black boxes, singing under his breath.  
Jamie.  
"Isn't that the guy you were talking to earlier?" My friend asked me. I swore I heard a hint of teasing in her voice.  
I decided to humor her. "Yes, yes it is," I answered.  
"Ohhh," she drawled in my ear, to which I playfully shoved her. A voice from behind us then called Jamie over, saying that he was on next. He hopped off the box, passing by me, but pausing.  
"You're on right after me, apparently," he told me. "So good luck."  
I grinned. "Right now I should be saying that to you." He gave me that same grin back, giving me a thumbs-up before taking a deep breath and starting up the stairs to the main stage. The girl to my right nudged me and I shoved her again. "Quit it!" I groaned in her ear. She simply laughed.  
There were a few people gathered over by the monitors, so I decided to drag Stacey over by them and watch Jamie's performance. Even on stage, as nervous as I was pretty sure he was, he smiled and kept his cool.  
"My name's Jamie Archer," he started when Simon asked his name, "But everyone knows me as Jamie Afro."  
I chuckled.  
"And how old are you, Jamie?" Simon asked him another question.  
He answered right away, "Thirty-three."  
 _FUCK GODDAMN SHIT BOLLOCKS-_  
"So, he's... what, nine years older than you?" Stacey asked aloud, counting on her fingers.  
I pouted, biting my lip with a grumble, but she didn't notice. Instead, she continued, "That's not too bad. Actually, not bad at all. My parents have a nine year age difference between them."  
 _THERE IS HOPE._  
During all this, I'd failed to keep my focus on Jamie, but heard the opening riff to one of my favorite songs through the speakers- 'Sex On Fire' by Kings of Leon. Was that his song?  
I stared intently at the screen, watching him play to the delight of the crowd, waiting for when he opened his mouth to sing.  
And when he did...  
 ** _"Lay where you're laying, oh, don't make a sound... 'cause I know that they're watching, yeah, they're watching... all the commotion, and all the kiddy-like play... well it had people talking, yeah, they're talking..."_**  
Oh. My. God.  
 _ **"One, two, three, and, you... yeah, your sex is on fire... whoa, oh, oh..."**_  
Oh. My. Sweet. God.  
 ** _"Well, hot as a fever, the rattling bones... I could just taste it, oh, just taste it... if it's not forever, oh, it's just for the night... but I think we're the greatest, we're the greatest..."_**  
Oh. My. Dear. Sweet. God.  
 ** _"One, two, three! You... yeah, your sex is on fire... whoa, oh oh... one, two, one two three and, you... yeah, your sex is on fire... whoa, oh, oh... consumed... with what's to transpire... whoa, oh, oh..."_**  
He. Was. Incredible.  
Don't believe me? Even Simon had starting singing along with the crowd!  
And they were currently going insane. Purely nuts.  
Honestly? I would be too. On the inside, I was. I was screaming and cheering like crazy. But on the outside, while I only had an ear-to-ear grin, I clapped fervently. And I resumed doing so when I saw him emerge with four yes's.  
"Elise?" My name was called. "You're up next."  
Stacey squeezed my hands. "Good luck, you'll do great," she told me.  
I smiled, returning the gesture and heading over to the stairs, where Jamie was currently coming down from.  
"Where did that come from?" I asked him as soon as he'd approached me. "That was absolutely amazing!"  
He smiled and laughed, patting my shoulders. "Well, thank you!" he chuckled. "But I should probably tell you 'good luck' now, huh?"  
"Probably," I shrugged with a little grin.  
Jamie had kept his hands on my shoulders, then like Stacey had done with my hands, he gave them a little squeeze. "Good luck," he said.  
All I did was nod to him, returning the smile he'd given me, then walked up the stairs, onto the stage.  
  
The lights were almost blinding. _'Stay focused, Elise,'_ I'd reminded myself for the millionth time at the last minute.  _'You can do this.'_  
"Hello there," Simon was the first to speak to me.  
"Hello," I responded, a smile working its way onto my face. The main judge spoke to me again.  
"What's your name, dear?"   
"I'm Elise McCready," I answered.  
"And how old are you?"  
"I-I'm twenty-four."  
Throughout all of this, I tried so very hard not to stutter or trip over my words. I had to keep calm. This was it.  
Simon placed the pen he was holding on the table in front of him. "And what song will you be singing for us, Elise?"  
I bit my lip, that tiny grin still making its way up. "I'll sing 'Take It Off' by The Donnas," I mustered. I thought I heard some of the girls in the audience cheer.  
After I received the 'okay' from Simon, the music started up. The familiar guitar riff I had heard every practice in my head.  
It was time.  
" _I'm on my second drink, but I've had a few before... I'm trying hard to think, and I think that I want you on the floor, uh-huh... yeah, on the floor, go on and take it off... you gottaa shake it off, baby, for me... come on and break me off... 'cause I get what I want, and I like what I see..."_  
Only a couple seconds after I'd opened my mouth and starting singing, the crowd was already cheering. Some of the girls in the back were even on their feet clapping and dancing.  
 _ **"Need your love one, two, three... stop staring at my B-Cup, don't waste time, just give it to me... come on, baby, just give me up, come on... just give it up, go on and take it off... you gotta shake it off, baby, for me... come on and break me off... 'cause I get what I want, and I like what I see..."**_  
By now, everything had become natural again. I was swaying lightly to the beat of the drums, getting into the song and getting the crowd to join in on the fun.  
 ** _"Forget the application... you're the right guy for the task... let me take you on vacation... just do it, you don't have to ask... go on and take it off... you gotta shake it off, baby, for me... come on and break me off... 'cause I get what I want, and I like what I see... take it off... take it off, baby for me... take it off... take it off, baby for me..."_**  
As the guitar died down, I finally noticed the results of my performance. The entire audience was on their feet, clapping, cheering, screaming for me. Even Dannii and Cheryl were standing and clapping! Unfortunately, everything they said to me was drowned out in my ears, until I heard the words from Simon- "Well now, we're gonna vote."  
From Louis Walsh?  
"Elise, it was incredible. Of course, yes."  
From Dannii Minogue?  
"Absolutely. Yes."  
From Cheryl Cole?  
"I loved it, Elise. I can't NOT say yes."  
And from Simon Cowell?  
"Well, Elise... you've got four yes's."  
Yes, I almost screamed.  
"Thank you so much, all of you," I told them with an ear-to-ear smile as the crowd cheered ear-deafening screams once more.  
Simon nodded at me with a grin. "We'll see you at Bootcamp. Good job."  
  
I didn't even make it halfway down the stairs when I was pulled by someone into a hug. My eyes closed right away, so I hugged them back with a smile, expecting it to be Stacey...  
...But when I felt the fabric of a jacket on my arms and a thin v-neck shirt on my cheek, I smiled even wider.  
"You were incredible, Elise," his voice reached my ear. I could hear the smile in his voice.  
I was still screaming on the inside from my performance, but this just added to it.  
I was going to X Factor Bootcamp.  
  
But for now, let me just continue hugging Jamie Archer.


	2. Bootcamp | Days One/Two

The fated first day of X Factor Bootcamp came about a month and a half later, when all auditions were finished. From what I heard, after the dozens of thousands of people, only two hundred of us remained. This was some awfully scary pressure.  
I'd packed five days worth of clothes in a small suitcase, double-checked to make sure I had every other **necessary** essential I needed, then made my way down the stairs of my apartment to where the coach bus was waiting in front of my doorstep. Quite a number of seats had been filled already, but I saw a familiar face near the back waving me over with a big, open smile.  
I all but broke out in the same identical grin as her, scooting in next to the open seat that Stacey had probably saved for me. "Are you excited?" I asked her, linking our hands together.  
"Unbelievably!" she responded. "But I'm also nervous again... I mean, this is bigger than the auditions. There's so few of us left."  
She was right. Every season of the X Factor I'd watched prior to getting the courage to go on myself, half the acts would be sent home by the end of the first day. It would continue in that fashion until only twenty-four remained; those would be the acts going to the Judges' Houses to perform.  
It, surprisingly, didn't take long at all before we reached the Hammersmith Apollo arena. Everyone began loading out of their buses, dragging a small suitcase behind them. Stacey and I stayed close by, holding each other's hands for support. Quickly glancing around at my competition, I thought I caught a glimpse of a familiar afro hairstyle a ways down to my right, but didn't think much of it for now. I could probably find Jamie later.  
We all set our suitcases down in a back room and made our way onto the stage. I assumed Stacey's nerves were coming back, because she gripped my hand a little tighter. Not to mention that everyone was now crowded together in a bundle on the stage, so I kept hold of her hand to keep her close by.  
Thankfully, we only had to wait about ten minutes before four figures emerged through one of the doors in the back of the seating area and walked down to the table. Everyone broke out into applause and cheers. Simon welcomed us all to Bootcamp, and after telling us a little bit about what to expect, Danni opened her mouth to speak of our first challenge.  
"You're gonna team up in groups of three acts," she explained, "And you'll get to choose who you be with, but every person is going to have to take a lead vocal role."  
Luckilly, we had all day to decide who would be in our team, but I already knew one person who shared the same idea as me. Stacey and I immediately paired up and seated ourselves at a table back in the room, looking around at everyone else who still needed a group. My head turned left and right, looking for the one other person I thought could go really well with our voices. Where was he? Where could he be-  
 _FOUND HIM._  
I nearly catapulted off my seat when I spotted who I had been looking for, but had to kick myself and remain calm. Stacey didn't call back for me, however. Then again, she probably knew.  
"Jamie!" I called out his name, and when he turned to face me, I was surprised my knees didn't buckle mid-run.  
"Elise, hello!" he greeted me with a smile, pulling me into a one-armed hug when I reached him.  
I stuffed my hands in my jean pockets. "So, by any chance, did you still need to find a group to join for the challenge tomorrow?" I questioned, surprisingly calm. "Stacey and I could use one more person, so I figured I might ask you."  
Right after the words left my mouth, his grin faltered. "Oh, Elise..." he sighed. "I'm sorry, some other guys asked me to join their group first."  
My expression soon faded as well. "Oh..." But I had to try and act like it wasn't too big of a deal, so I simply shrugged. "Well, that's alright. I can probably find another person."  
Jamie's smile started to come back as he put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side, pointing back over to where Stacey was sitting. "Maybe she might have already done that for you?" he pondered aloud. I looked to where he was gesturing to, and saw another girl sitting at the same table as her.  
"Guess so," I replied, a smile of my own returning.  
I bid him farewell for the time being after he shook my shoulders playfully to cheer me up. The other girl, who I found out was named Lucie, came all the way from a tiny village in Cardiff to be here. And when I heard her sing, I knew she was the perfect fit for us. We then headed right back to our room in the hotel to pick out and practice our song for tomorrow.  
"I have a couple in mind," Lucie voiced, flipping through the packet of paper that was stapled together. "But I wanted to run them over by you girls first."  
"Sure, what did you pick?" Stacey and I moved next to our teammate, who pointed to a couple of songs that were underlined and circled in sharpie.  
My finger touched the paper. "Well, I really like this one that you chose..."  
"Yeah, me too," the youngest of the group agreed, to which Stacey nodded as well. "Looks like it's settled then!" I jumped off the bed and clapped my hands together before scurrying over to the mini-fridge. "So what do you say we girls practice? Not without some coffee and tea first, though!"  
Lucie and Stacey broke out in identical smiles. It would turn out to be a long night, but it would all be worth it in the morning.

It wasn't half. It was worse. **More** than half of us would be leaving today. It had been going around as a proven truth that two-hundred would become fifty by tonight.  
Not only that, but there were already a vast number of people that were being sent home right after their performance. If Stacey, Lucie and I weren't careful or didn't perform to our very best standards, that could be us.  
I almost felt sick.  
The youngest of the three of us squeezed my shoulders, a fad that now seemed to become quite common for me. "Hey, hey, don't worry too much," Lucie attempted to console me, "You're gonna do great. We all will." And as nervous as I was, I believed her.  
When we finally went on stage, Stacey, Lucie and I all held each other's hands for support as we lined up in front of the judges. An arm that belonged to a figure with a very noticable hairstyle was waving to me a few rows to the back, and immediately, I felt more relaxed.  
"Hello girls," Louis greeted us this time. "Would you just care to remind us what your names are?"  
"Stacey Solomon," she started off on the right.  
"Lucie Jones," the middle girl added.  
"Elise McCready," I finished. I thought I heard someone cheer after I said my name, and I was pretty sure I knew who it was.  
We'd gotten the 'okay' right after, and Stacey started the song while Lucie and I sang a harmony backup. Then I sang with them as my background, and Lucie ended it, belting out the last notes perfectly.  
"You girls came out here, and you made that song your own," Cheryl complimented us. "You owned it."  
It didn't take too much longer for them to make their decision, and all the while, the three of us held each other's hands again.  
Simon gave us all a smile. "Congratulations, you three. You're all through."  
After we celebrated a little, Stacey expressed her thanks from all of us to them, and we shuffled backstage, ear-to-ear grins on our faces. Lucie brought the two of us into a bear hug while we all screamed in delight. Though, as soon as she let go, I took off down the hallway back to the audience seating doors.  
"I'm gonna be back out there, you guys," I told them as I ran, "I can't miss his performance!"  
"Whose performance?" Lucie asked me, to which I shouted one more thing before I disappeared behind the corner.  
"Jamie's!"  
The youngest girl grinned and turned to my friend, who had stayed behind with her. "And who's Jamie?" she questioned, to which Stacey whispered something in her ear with a giggle.  
"Ohhhhh!" Lucie chuckled.  
"That's what I said!" the blonde replied, smiling wide.

Just like he did at his first audition, Jamie came out with a big grin on his face, waving to the crowd and playing it up for them, which caused me to smile and laugh. He'd introduced himself as Jamie Afro this time, which got me to smile more. He must've spotted me standing up in my seat when he said his name, for he looked in my direction and shot me a wave.  
While he sang his song with the other members of his team for the day, I smiled and clapped along with the beat. His voice was just amazing. He had this unique little edge to it that made me smile every time I heard him. After he and everyone else had finished, Simon turned to Jamie. The first thing that left his mouth was, "Jamie, you're a really good singer."  
 _YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT HE IS._  
I cheered when Simon announced that he was also through to the next day of Bootcamp.  
But by the time all the remaining acts had performed, there were still around one hundred of us left. They were going to cut the number in half again by nightfall. And the nearly hour wait that it took until someone came back to announce the names in groups of four was antagonizing. But eventually, it came.  
Everyone was going to be divided into groups that would be placed in one of four rooms. Depending on which one you entered, you were either still here for a nother day, or you were headed home.  
Names for the first room began to be called out. "Rachel Adedeji, Dominic Harris, Stacey Solomon, John and Edward, Lucie Jones, Olly Murs..."  
I listened for my name, but it wasn't called. Stacey and Lucie hugged me before picking up their bags and heading out the door with everyone else in the first room. The second and third group of names were called out then, and I wasn't in either of them. Then, the fourth and final group of names were called out.  
"Lloyd Daniels, Danyl Johnson, Elise McCready, Jamie Archer, Kandy Rain..."  
Well, this was it. My fate would soon be decided.  
I sat my little suitcase up from off the floor and began rolling it out of the room, quickening my pace when I saw Jamie waving me over from the doorway. We passed by one, two, three doors, until we reached the fourth one at the end of the hall. Everyone gathered in a bundle in the center of the room; I stood near the back- only because I was too afraid at that moment to face the judges upfront.  
I felt a body shift next to me and looked up to lock eyes with the only person in the room that I knew. "I've never been more nervous in my life until now," I spoke in a hush. "Like, this is only one yes or no, but it's gonna ultimately determine everything until the next day." He wrapped an arm around me as I bit my lip. "It's gonna feel like forever..."  
One more, Jamie rested the hand from the arm on my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You'll be okay," he whispered to me. "We'll be okay. We'll make it through this."  
I just hoped he was right.  
Ten minutes felt like an eternity, just as I predicted. But when the doors finally opened and the judges entered the room, the tension in the room increased ten times over.  
"I know it's hard, standing here and waiting for a simple word to be said," Danni told us. "But we've thought long and hard, and now it comes to this."  
I shifted uncomfortably in my spot, slowly covering part of my face with my hand.  
Simon opened his mouth next. "We've come to a decision, and now I'm gonna put you all out of your misery.  
 _'Oh, god...'_ I thought dreadfully. _'This is the end...'_  
"Our decision is..."  
There was a long, very uncomfortable silence.  
Unconsciously, I reached over and took Jamie's hand in mine. He gripped it just as tightly in response.  
I couldn't bear to open my eyes.  
"...You are all through to the Top Fifty!"  
The entire room erupted into screams and shrieks of pure elation. Everyone was jumping up and down in delight, and I was right with them. I broke out in an ear-to-ear smile, jumping so high I thought I could have touched the ceiling. Jamie was just a few feet away from me, punching the air victoriously.  
I couldn't help myself at this point.  
Running back over to where he was, I leaped onto him in a hug, throwing my arms around his neck and securing my legs around his waist. My heart soared when he caught me and returned my enthusiastic embrace, spinning me around in circles. During this celebration, I had started crying tears of joy, and Jamie allowed me to scream happily and bury my face into his cotton-covered shoulder.  
This must be what being on Cloud Nine feels like. And I never wanted to come down.  
"Now, there's only one more surprise tonight," Simon told us after we had managed to compose ourselves. Somewhat. "You are only half of the top fifty."  
That's right, I remembered. There were only twenty-five acts in the room. Where were the others?  
The main judge then gestured to the doors with a grin. "So, allow me introduce you to the other half."  
When the doors opened, and I saw Stacey and Lucie leading the pack of the other group of elated finalists, I screamed again, barely having any time to think as they all but tackled me to the floor, obviously sharing my feeling of being on top of the world. From next to where I previously stood, Jamie laughed, helping the three of us up and pulling each of us into a long, thankful hug. When he'd finally wrapped his arms around my waist for the second time that day, I swayed in his hold, standing on my toes to rest my head on his shoulder.

The smile never left my face.


	3. Bootcamp | Days Three/Four

That night, I couldn't sleep. As delighted as I was to be one of the last fifty acts left in Bootcamp, there was still the daunting task of the final performance tomorrow.  
Everyone had been given a sheet of paper that included twenty-five song choices. We had to pick one from the list and perform it that night. And not just in front of the judges, but also in front of an audience- consisting of four thousand people.  
I felt sick.  
I'd decided to look through the list a couple more times, circling a couple choices I thought would be best. There were a few I thought would be good for my voice from what I remembered of them, but there were also a couple of them that I knew by heart and knew I could own onstage. It would definitely come down to a last-minute decision, but I felt like the choice I made would hopefully be good enough to impress.  
Lucie had decided to move her stuff into the room I shared with Stacey, as well, so now it was the three of us exchanging the paper back and forth to pick and ponder our song choices. The youngest of us had made her mind up almost right away, and as I was snacking on a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, she sat on the bed next to me.  
"Y'know," she started, showing me the paper. "I think this song might be the one for you." The brunette pointed to one she had underlined in red with my name written beside it in capital letters. Fortunately for me, it was one I had circled in consideration.  
I pressed a finger to my mouth. "Think so?" I asked her. "I thought it might be a good choice, but... you really think I can do that one?"  
Lucie nodded. "I know you can, Elise. From what I've heard you sing, this one is perfect for your voice."  
She may have been six years younger than me, but I trusted her judgement. I took the marker and circled it boldly, putting a star by it. "Then this one it is."  
The first day of performances came and went by with the snap of a finger, Lucie being the only one of us to go onstage. Stacey and I had snuck in through the doors in the audience area to watch and support her; luckily it was dark and no one could make us out.  
As I heard her voice belt out the song word for word, I smiled and clapped vigorously as soon as she was finished. Lucie really was incredible. She deserved this opportunity so much, and I was willing to say that because it was true.   
She'd ended up picking 'Hurt' by Christina Aguilera.  
Little did I know that one particular song would become a huge part of the upcoming competition. Not just for others, but for me, as well.

By day two of performances, there were only half of us left to try and impress the judges and the audience. Lucie still continued to accompany Stacey and myself to the arena, even though she was already finished with her song.  
My nerves were coming back again, as they always did before a live performance. I couldn't stay still in my chair and wait around patiently like most of the others, so I ended up taking a walk around the back room, linking my fingers together and practicing little bits and pieces of my chosen song under my breath. I had to get this right.  
"Elise, over here," a voice broke my reverie, and I looked around until I saw Jamie sitting at a chair by himself near the window. He'd pulled an extra one over by him, and was waving me over to where he was.  
I shuffled over to my friend, sitting in the chair and crossing my legs. "How hard was it for you to choose a song?" I asked, my hands once more clasping together.  
"Not too hard, but still a task," he responded, his knee bouncing up and down slightly. "Harder for you, I bet."  
I nodded with a lopsided grin, which got him to laugh a little. "But I think I've got it down," I added. "Lucie helped me pick it."  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah, she actually kind of insisted on it."  
I sat and talked with Jamie for about an hour and a half before his name was called to perform. "I wish you were able to come and see it," he almost sounded sad at the fact that I couldn't have a front-row seat like I did the first couple days.  
"Don't worry about it too much," I responded, patting his shoulder. "You're gonna do great, even without me there."  
He nodded in response to that, wrapping an arm around my back and pulling me to his side in a makeshift hug before going through the doors to the backstage area.  
Little did he know that I remembered where the doors that Stacey and I had snuck in through to watch Lucie were. And I planned on sneaking through them again.  
I pretty much had to run until I was out of breath to get there in time, but I'd made it just as he walked out to the center of the stage. He'd discarded the jacket and stood there in just his signature v-neck shirt and jeans.  
The song he'd picked was U2's 'With Or Without You'. It was a pretty big song, but I had a feeling that he would completely make it his own. Before he started singing for real, I saw him look around with his eyes, scanning the entire arena. Was he looking for me...?  
 ** _"See the stone set in your eyes, see the thorn twist in your side... and I wait for you..."_**  
Like at his audition, the crowd already was clapping along and cheering for him. My smile grew as I watched him sing. This time was so much different than his first one. When singing 'Sex On Fire', he'd had a smile on his face the whole time. With this song, he looked so much more serious. As if he was putting much more emotion into it... like it almost meant something.  
 _ **"** With or without you, with or without you, my love, I can't live with or without you... And you give yourself away, and you give yourself away... and you give, and you give, and you give yourself away..."_  
I could feel that emotion.  
 _ **"With or without you... with or without you, my love... I can't live, I can't live with or without you... oh, oh, without you, my love... with or without you..."**_  
Again, Jamie had got the crowd singing right along with him, and I joined right in, hoping my voice was louder than everyone's for the sake of him hearing me. Once the song had died down to an end, everyone was on their feet, clapping, cheering, everything for him. With a grin once more on his face, he gave the judges a 'thank you' wave, then exited down the far aisle of the audience.  
The aisle I was standing at the end of.  
He obviously was able to see me when he got far up enough, and his long, walking strides transformed into a jog until he met me at the opened door, where he brought me into an embrace that lifted me off my toes. "What happened to not being there to see it?" he chuckled in my ear.  
I simply smiled against his shirt, hugging him back. "I found a way."

Calming down at this rate wouldn't be easy. It was almost time for me to go onstage and perform in front of the judges and the crowd, and once again, I nearly called for a barf bag.  
 _'Suck it up, Elise,'_ I reminded myself in frustration. _'Th_ _is feeling is going to come and go pretty often now that you're here. You've gotta work with it and just go for it.'_  
I took one last deep breath, downed another gulp of a nearby water bottle, then made my way out and into the lights.  
Danni smiled right away at the sight of me. "Hello again, Elise," she greeted me with a gentle tone.  
I smiled sheepishly. "Hi Danni," I managed with a small wave.  
"You excited, nervous?" Simon questioned.  
Biting my lip, I answered, "Honestly, a little bit of both." I heard the crowd chuckle lightly in response.  
Simon picked up the pen that rested by a cup of coffee. "So, what's the song you've chosen?"  
"I'm gonna sing 'Feels Like Tonight' by Chris Daughtry," I tried to keep my grip on the microphone.  
The judges all gave me a smile and the 'okay' to go, and unconsciously, I looked to the back of the arena where I saw a small line of light from the doorway. I could faintly make out Stacey's bright pink fingernails and Lucie's blue dress, but also someone else.  
Standing next to them, eagerly awaiting my performance, was a familiar afro.  
My stomach calmed down immensly, and I was able to open my mouth.  
 _ **"You, you got me, thinking it'll be alright... you, you told me, 'come and take a look inside'... from the moment you came into my life, you showed me what's right..."**_  
My eyes fluttered open and closed from time to time as I racked my brain for the proper emotions to bring to the song. I had to make this my best performance ever right now. Thankfully, it must've worked so far- the crowd was starting to cheer for me as I sang, quietly at first, but slowly growing in volume.  
 _ **"And it feels like tonight... I can't believe I'm broken inside... can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do, but try to make it up to you, and it feels like tonight... tonight... "**_  
I looked to the back where I knew he was standing.  
 _ **"I never felt like this before, just when I leave, I'm back for more, nothing else here seems to matter... in these ever-changing days, you're the one thing that remains... I could stay like this forever..."**_  
I hadn't even finished the song, and already, everyone was on their feet applauding me. It was unbelievable.  
 _ **"And it feels like tonight... I can't believe I'm broken inside... can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do, 'cept try to make it up to you, and it feels like tonight...'cause there's nothing that I'd rather do, than try to make it up to you, and it feels like tonight... tonight..."**_  
The screams, the cheers, they were deafening. I couldn't help but smile as I made my way offstage and down the aisle towards the doors, which had since been opened by my 'fanbase'.   
Stacey and Lucie jumped up and down when I came out. "Lucie told me everything; I knew that song was perfect for you!" Stacey shrieked happily, hugging one side of me while Lucie did to the other. Needless to say, they had their fair share of complimenting me.  
But with Jamie, no words needed to be said. All he had to do was give me that blasted smile of his, and like he did earlier today, wrapped his arms around my waist and allowed me to stand on his shoes. I could feel that smile against my neck, which caused me to press my forehead to his shoulder. For that brief moment, I could close my eyes and finally, just breathe out a sigh.

Finally, the time had come. Fifty acts would be cut down to just twenty-four. Whoever made it would be going on to perform at the Judges' Houses, and whoever didn't impress them enough now... the journey was over.  
They had started calling out names in small groups now, to hear whether they had a yes or a no.  
"Alright everyone, the next group going onstage will be... Rikki Loney, Jamie Archer, Elise McCready, Nicole Johnson, and Despina Pilavakis."  
 _OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD-_  
I gave Stacey and Lucey one last, long bear hug- just in case- before walking over to Jamie, who was waiting for me by the door, and heading out next to him with everyone else.  
Once we'd made it onstage, we lined up in a little row. I looked around at the three other people in our group, and noticed all of them did the same thing- their arms went behind their back, their shoulders tensed up, and they all let out a long, shaky breath.  
"First of all, I just wanted to say thank you for coming to Bootcamp," Louis spoke to us. "This was not an easy decision at all, and I want you all to know that."  
To my right, Jamie closed his eyes and looked to the floor. I scooted closer to where he stood, slowly weaving my fingers through his and giving his hand a squeeze. His eyes opened again as he locked them with mine. He squeezed my hand back. I swallowed.  
This was it.  
Louis's voice broke the silence.  
"...You are all going to the Judges' Houses!"  
We all erupted into shrieks and wide smiles. I screamed and fell to my knees, covering my mouth with my hands. Jamie did the same thing, although he managed to stay on his feet and walk in a circle, almost not daring to believe what he'd just heard. We were in the final twenty-four.   
After we had filed out the doors into the main lobby, I couldn't help but fall to the floor again out of sheer disbelief. I was going to the Judges' Houses. I was one step closer to the chance of a lifetime. I was one step closer to my dream.  
Footsteps reached my ears, and I was lifted off the ground, off of my feet. Two familiar arms were holding me tightly to his body, spinning around in circles as he laughed delightfully into my ear. I let out an elated shriek, returning Jamie's embrace whole-heartedly with a laugh of my own. It took a while before he set me down on the floor, but he still didn't let go. And when he pressed his lips to my cheek, I could've turned twenty shades of pink.  
My moment was interrupted by a screaming Stacey and Lucie, who once again, tackled me to the floor. Not that I minded too much, though. My friends and I were all still in the competition. We were all still together.

The fated moment then came for us to split into our separate groups and find out who would be mentoring us for the rest of the show. Unfortunately for me, I was still young enough to be placed in the Girls category, while Jamie was placed in the Over 25's.  
"You'd better tell me who you get as your judge, okay?" I joked with him, my hands on his shoulders.  
"Only if you do the same for me," he replied, pulling me into one last hug before we separated into the groups. Though, before he let go of my waist, I thought I'd felt him slip his hand in the pocket of my sweater.  
I'd check later.  
Myself, along with Stacey and Lucie, were joined by three other girls- Despina, Nicole, and another girl named Stacey, though she had dark brown hair instead of the dirty blonde my Stacey had.  
The six of us held hands as a group, all standing in a row, waiting to see which judge would emerge through the doors as our future coach and mentor.   
"Who do you hope it is?" Nicole asked, leaning over to gaze at all of us.  
Despina chuckled. "Oh god, anyone but Simon," she joked. We all broke out in giggles. Personally, I didn't mind either way who we got. They would all be out for our best interests now, and all saw something in us that said to us that we could be potential stars. We couldn't let them down. None of us.  
A creaking of the door reached my ears. Our grips on each other's hands tightened.  
The doors were pulled open backwards...  
...and in the way, emerged a smiling Danni Minogue.  
 _OH HELL YES!_  
Today seemed to be the appropriate day for screaming, as we all did so at the same time, dashing in a hurry over to our new mentor and pulling her to all of us in a welcoming group hug. In my opinion, I actually thought Danni would be the best one for us. She was kind, yet serious, and always wanted us to do our best and give it our all. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.  
"There seems to be some strong categories this year," she told us with a grin, "But I believe that this is the group where someone is going to win The X Factor."  
She took all of our hands and piled them on top of each other's. "Now, promise me that each of you is going to vizualize yourself on that stage, winning this competition," her smile never left her face. "Can you do that for me, girls?"  
We all simultaneously agreed with a matching smile and yet another scream of delight, clapping and jumping up and down.  
The competition had only just begun.

Back in the room, Stacey and Lucie had already fallen asleep, while I turned back and forth, trying to do the same. For some reason, however, I couldn't seem to do so.  
Then I remembered- my sweater.  
Doing my best not to wake up my two friends, I tip-toed over to my suitcase, fiddling around in the pockets of the clothing article I had been wearing not too long before I'd taken it off for bed, trying to see if I could find-  
My fingers grazed something.  
I pulled out a tiny slip of paper, folded into quarters. Pulling it open, I smiled widely at what I saw, picking my phone off the nightstand and fiddling with it for a few seconds before turning it off for the night. Soon after, I was finally able to fall asleep.

The note had read,  
"Call me - 01252 545654. Jx"


End file.
